Mechanism for operating valves or equivalent-means of hydraulic apparatus



PATENTED' FEB. 16, 1904 H. E. WARREN.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING-VALVES OR EQUIVALENT MEANS OF v HYDRAULIC APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 7, 1903. N0 MODEL. V 4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES No. 752,491. PATENI'ED FEB. 16, 19.04.

' H; E. WARREN;

MECHANISM FOR. OPERATING VALVES 0R EQUIVALENT MEANS OF HYDRAULIC APPARATUS APPLIUATION FILED JULY 7, 190a.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2..-

NO MODEL.

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No. 752,491. :PATENTBD P111346, 1904. H. E. WARREN.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING VALVES 0R EQUIVALENT MEANS OF HYDRAULIC APPARATUS.-

APPLIOATIOH FILED JULY 7, 1903. H0 MODEL.

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. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1k l PATBNTED 33.16, 1904.

. H. E. WARREN I MECHANISM FOR OPERATING-VALVES, 0R EQUIVALENT MEANS OF HYDRAULIC APPARATUS.. APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1903. 30 MODEL.

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Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFIC HENRY E. XVARREN, OF NEFVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING VALVES 0R EQUIVALENT-MEANS 0F HYDRAULIC APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,491, dated February 16, 1904.

Application filed July 7, 1903. Serial No. 164,590. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concermi V Be it known that I, HENRY E. WARREN, a

citizen of the United States of America, residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Operating Valves or Equivalent Means of Hydraulic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

' The improvements relate to what may be termed a relay system, in which a small force is employed to put into action mechanism, such as valves or other controllers, to-

regulate the application of a large force to operate the pistons of hydraulic cylinders or other motors, which may be employed to operate water-gates, elevators, presses, &c.

The invention consists in anormally closed fluid system .in communication with apiston or equivalent mechanism connected with the main controller, which may be avalve through which motive'fluid is supplied to the main motor or mechanical means, such as clutch mechanism, through which motion is commu nicated, also in means to produce movement of the fluid within the closed system to operate the controller and means to increase or de-' crease the fluid capacity of the system in accordance with the movement of the motor in one direction or the other.

A convenient specific embodiment of the im' provements is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improvements combined with a hydraulic piston. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view with a small cylinder and piston (shown to be operated by hand) to control the fluid in the closed system.

Fig. 3 shows a centrifugal speed-governor at:

tached to the valve which controls the fluid 7 for the closed system. Fig. 4c is a sectional elevation of the closed fluid system connected with mechanical means instead of a valve to serve as the controller for the motor. Fig.5 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus, showing an arrangement by which the controllervalve is operated positively in bothdirections by pressure of fluid from the primary valve. The same part of the apparatus is indicated by similar letters throughout the drawings.

Referring to the parts by letter, in Figs. 1 and 2, A represents a hydraulic cylinder, in which moves a piston b with its rod a. Fluid is admittedto or exhausted from cylinder A through the ports 9 and 1", which maybe connected, by means of the main valve B, with the fluid-inlet a or the fluid-outlets t and '0, one port being connected with the outlet at the time when the other-is in communication with the inlet in the usual manner of slide-valves. The main or motor valve B is preferably of the well-known balanced type, consisting of two connected pistons y and 2 within acylindrical valve-chamber, through which are'cut circumferential openings which register with the ports q and 9*, respectively. Fastened firmly to the valve B and preferably forming a part thereof are two plungers or pistons s and w of unequal cross-sections, which project through glands 2 The plunger 8 is smaller than a, and, as illustrated, it is acted upon by steady hydraulic pressure furnished through the passage 0, while the plunger :12 may be acted upon by a variable hydraulic pressure furnished through the inlet g. In communication With inlet g by means of a pipe f is What I will designate a compensating cylinderl), in which is a piston or plunger 6, connected in any'suitable manner, but preferably directly by means of yoke 3 with the piston-rod a of'the main motor, so that as the piston b moves' in its cylinder A the plunger e will move simultaneously in its cylinder D. The capacity, therefore, of the cylinder D between its outer end and the plunger e will vary with every movement of the piston b. Fluid is admitted to or exhausted from this system, which is composed of the valvechamber w, cylinder D, and connecting-pas- I sages f 9, through the pipe h and the throttling-valve i from the three-way valve C, Figs. 1 and 4. This three-way valve is preferably made in the form of balanced pistons it, having linear motion in a cylindrical sleeve containing the ports a, Z, and m. Valve k has a slight, lap over the two outer ports in) and a, but is always in communication through the annular space around the reduced stem with the middle port Z. Fluid under pressure is admitted through port m, preferably from the same source as that which supplies the chamber to of the valve B, while the exhaust is through the port n. The arrangement is such that whenever the valve 76 moves up fluid under pressure is admitted through the port'm to the annular space around the valvestem, thence through the port Z, throttle-valve i, pipe 72., passage g to the chamber w. The fluid in the chamber w is therefore substantially at the same pressure as that in the chamber w; but since the cross-sectional area of the plunger w is greater than that of the plunger 8 the pressure thereon will move the main valve B toward the right, thereby opening the port 0" to themain exhaust-portc and the port q to the pressure-supply u, thus admitting fluid into the right-hand end of cylinder A, which will move the piston 13 to the left. This action causes a simultaneous increase in the size of the fluid-space in the compensating cylinder D, and a portion of the fluid flowing through the valve C and the pipe h is immediately diverted thereto instead of continuing to add to that in the chamber w. Through this action it will be observed that very quickly a balance of forces will be reached, whereby the valve B will be held open a certain definite amount, such that the speed of travel of the piston b, and therefore of the plunger 6, will be just suflicient to take care of all the fluid which is flowing through the pipe h, for if this were not so the valve B would continue to open until such a condition of affairs had been reached. It will be seen also that as the valve 79 is gradually closed and the velocity of fluid through the pipe h thereby diminished the speed of motion of the piston b will be diminished, forv the plunger 6, which moves .with it, will make way for fluid in the compensating cylinder D faster than it is flowing through pipe h, and therefore a portion of the fluid in chamberw will be diverted into the cylinder D. During this operation the valve B will travel toward the left, thus closing the ports 4" and q, substantially in the same ratio as the valve is closes the entrance-port m. When the valve has closed the entrance-port m completely, motion of the piston b will cease for the reason that the valve B will have moved across and closed the ports q r on account of the escape of suflicient fluid from the chamber w into the compensating cylinder D to permit this. The whole system will then be in equilibrium, and no further movement can take place, for cham ber w, cylinder D, and the, connecting-passages to the valve C will be full of fluid which cannot escape, and therefore it will be impossible for the main valve B to move in either direction. A movement of the valve is downward will set up action of the piston Z) in the opposite direction, because a way for escape of the fluid from the chamber to will then be opened through pipe it, throttle-valve '6, ports Z and p, to the air or a suitable receiver, and

the valve B will therefore be moved to the left by the pressure in the chamber w, acting against the plunger 8. Port q will thereby be opened to the discharge-pipe t and port 1" to the admission-pipe 10, causing the piston b and plunger 6 to move to the right. The speed of motion will be such as to bring about an equilibrium of forces, so that the fluidspace in the cylinder D will diminish at precisely the same rate as fluid escapes from passage p. r

Upon any increase or decrease in the flow of fluid through the pipe it, due to a greater or less opening of the valve C or the throttle- "valve '5, valve B will move to a new position,

and the piston Z2 and plunger 6 will be moved at a rate to correspond to the change of flow. Since the function of the fluid which flows through the valve Cis to move the main valve B a short distance in either one direction or the other, this valve C can be made very small, and therefore easy of movement. It has been found in practice that in order to move a valve like B sufliciently large to supply a cylinder like A, sixteen inches in diameter, for instance, with fluid under two hundred pounds pressure .per square inch at a rate which will cause a piston travel of twenty feet or more per minute, the valve is need not be more than three-eighths of an inch in diameter and need not have a total travel of more than one-eighth of an inch. It will thus be seen that my invention provides a most eflicient relay device to set into action a very great force through the impulse of a very small one.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a speed-governor Gr, combined with the valve 0. The governor G is rotated by means of the pulley g and a belt from the prime motor, and the small primary valve 70 is connected, by means of the rod h, with the centrifugal balls in the usual manner. The length of the rod h is adjusted so that at normal speed the valve 76 covers theports m and n; and, as is well understood, any deviation from the normal speed causes the valve k to be displaced and allows fluid under pressure to move the relaying-valve B and through that to operate the main working piston b.

In the operation of my invention it is generally convenient to utilize the same supply of fluid under pressure for operating the primary IIO and relay valves as that which is used in the fluid out of the cylinder D into the pipe f and i chamber 20, the plunger a at the left-hand end of the relay-valve B may be provided with a small angular passage 6, which when the valve B is moved a suflicient distance to the rightwill permit the escape of the fluid from the hand or automatic control, is substituted for the valve C shown in Fig. 1. By manipulation of the lever k the piston Z2 maybe moved in or out, thereby forcing fluid from the cylind er G into the relaying-valve chamber 20 or allowing a portion of the liquid in the chamber w to flow back into the cylinder C thus causing a motion toward the right or left of the relaying-valve B, which action results, as

heretofore explained, in a motion of the main hydraulic piston Z), which through the compensating reaction in the cylinder D returns the relaying-valve B to mid-position. Upon inspection it will be apparent that the movement of the hydraulic piston 6 will always be such as'to increase the capacity of the compensating cylinder D by exactly the amount I of decrease of the capacity of the cylinder U or if the motion is in the other direction to decrease the capacity of the cylinder D by the exact amount of increase of capacity of the cylinder C that is to say, there will be a certain linear motion of the piston Z) for each unit of alteration in capacity of the cylinder C and since the change incapacity of thecylinder 0 may be readily measured by a pointer moving over a scale or a plunger moving past notches, as shown in Fig. 2, this device makes it possible for an operator to predetermine the movement of the main hydraulic piston for any purpose. For example, an elevator may be operated by the hydraulic piston 5 and the hand-lever if have a pointer it connected with it and operated by a crank-lever Z and spring Z so that when the pointer is moved over ascale s itsposition of rest would indicate the floor to which the elevator would rise or fall. It should be noted that the motion of the hydraulic piston Z) takes place after the movement of the piston F, but

that its ultimate position will always corre-- spond with the position in which the piston h comes to rest, (indicated by the pointer it on the scale 8 regardless of the speed of move' ment of the hydraulic piston 5that is to say, there can be no overtravel of the piston Z). For the purpose of partially or wholly balancing the pressure of the fluid beneath the hydraulic piston k means may be provided for admitting fluidabove it at 0 under the'same pressure as the fluid at 0. This device is particularly valuable also in connection withhyical means through which movement is communicated to the main motor by the operation of the closed hydraulic system, and it consists of a shaft a, upon which are supported two loose disk gears y? g and secured to the shaft between the disks is a clutch member Z2 Upon one end of theshaft a is a piston in, inclosed by a cylinder 2, with one end of which the pipe g of the closed fluid system is connected and with the other end of which cylinder the fluid-pipe 0 is connected. Upon the shaft a there is also secured a gear a which meshes with an internally-threaded gear at.

The gear a is supported with the threaded hole in its hub in line with the compensating cylinder D, and the end of the rod of the plunger e is screw-threaded and extends through the threaded gear a, so that the rotation of that gear in one direction or the other will cause the plunger 6 to-move in or out. of the cylinder D. The disk-gears 3 f are caused to rotate in opposite directions through the pinions o 0 upon the shaft 10 engages directly with the pinion o but the gear y is driven by an intermediate pinion 25 which meshes with the gear 3 and the pinion o The pinion t is supported upon a countershaft i It will be understood that when the piston 03 occupies the middle position of the cylinder .2, as shown in Fig. 4, the clutch memher 5 will not be in contactwitheither of the disksy' 3 and'that an increase-of pressure in the end w of the cylinder 2 by the admission of fluid through the valve 0 will cause the piston ac and shaft 00 to move to'the right and the clutch b to engage with the disk outlet p will cause the piston 00 and shaft a The gear f to move to the left and the clutch b to engage the disk g and be turned in the other direction, and, as heretofore stated; through the gears a a the plunger 6 will at the same time be moved in or out of the cylinder D in accordance with the direction of movement of the gear (6 It will be understood by thosefamiliar with itinonefdirection, as illustrated in Figs. 1. and 2, where such pressure is exerted upon a plunger 8, extending into the chamber w. This plunger may have a steady force exerted against it by a spring or by a weight. Neither is, it necessary that the primary valve should act to admit fluid into or exhaust it from the chamber w only; but, as shown in Fig. 5, passages h it may extend from the valve 0 to each of the chambers w and w in such a manner as to admit fluid into one and exhaust it from the other simultaneously, in which case it would be unnecessary to have any constant fluid-pressure acting against the plunger 8, for the valve wouldbe moved positively in both directions, and the two plungers sandw should have the same cross-sectional area. With such a construction, however, the compensating cylinder D should preferably be made doubleended, as shown, so as to have fluid on both sides of the piston'e, and the cylinder D should be connected with the respective chambers w w by passages ff. In this construction (shown in Fig. 5)'the valve 10 may be operated by a lever it, either by hand or by connecting it with a speed-governor. In this ar rangement also the ports '0 and t shouldbe the fluid-inlets and u the exhaust or outlet port.

I claim 1. In combination withamotor, acontroller for the motor, a fluid system connected with the controller, means to move the fluid in said system to operate the controller, and mechanism operated by the motor to increase or diminish the fluid capacity of the system in correspondence with the movements of the motor.

2. In combination with a hydraulic motor, a hydraulically-operated valve to control the flow of fluid to the motor, a fluid-chamber connected with the valve-operating system, which system is closed when in equilibrium, means to move the fluid in the system to operate the valve, and a plunger in said closed fluid-chamber, which is operated synchronously with the motor to change the fluid-space in the chamber to correspond with the movement of the motor.

3. In combination with a hydraulic motor, a hydraulically-operated valve to control the flow of fluid to the motor, a fluid system to operate thevalve, mechanism to control the movement of fluid in said system, a speed-governor .ed with each, primary means to alter the fluidpressure in the system, to displace the con- .troller, and other means connected with the motor, which means act directly upon the fluid in the system in communication with the controller, to restore the latter to its original position.

HENRY E. WARREN.

Witnesses:

R. L. ROBERTS, F. A. CoLLINs. 

